Machete (2010)

A former Mexican Federalli and all around badass(Danny Trejo)is hired to assassinate a political figure only to be double crossed. Over the top exploitation movies just hit a new high. This flick has more laughs, blood, asskicking, sex (dig that 70's bassline), firepower, and raw stinky macho than any 5 movies combined. This is just damn fun viewing! Despite what is being said about this flick being political and whatever buzz words are being thrown about, here's my take. This movie is no more about politics than The Passion of the Christ (2004) is about S&M. There are stereotyped characters and roles and involve themes that are decades if not centuries old. Being that the movie takes place in Texas, and the timeline is now, it is necessary to include examples of today's society. If you are someone who finds images of Jesus on saltines and a conspiracy in every broadcast, you shouldn't be watching ANY movie, much less this one. If however, you like movies that don't preach at you about one thing or another and just blows the crap out of stuff while a bunch of one dimensional characters run around killing each other, it doesn't get much better than this. Grindhouse on steroids. 100% red meat... no frills, no filler, no bullshit! Viva Machete!

Women in Trouble (2009)

A day in the life of 10 different women. Right out of the box this one comes out and lands a solid one-two to humor and intrigue. Great naturally flowing dialogue along with an upbeat tempo and a solid group of players makes this one very enjoyable viewing experience. This is the kind of natural comedy that unfortunately is being overshadowed by noisier and much less humorous fare. A word of warning, this does get risque' (in places) and while the cussing is minimal and I don't recall any nudity, the subject matter may be considered a bit vulgar and clothing is revealing. Also, if you are sensitive about sex and sexual behaviour, be aware its a significant part of the dialogue. I laughed myself silly with this one and think you will too. Recommended.

The Last Seven (2010)

You wake up with no memory in a city with no inhabitants. I am a sucker for this kind of movie where the obvious is kept just out of view until it dawns on you to turn your head slightly for the proper perspective. Riddled with flashbacks the story uses atmosphere well to ramp up tension in the right places. There's some disturbing imagery but nothing too heavy. The end is what sealed the deal for me on this one, very cool when you realize what you have been watching. There is a curve at the very end however that left me a little confused but not without a notion. Creepy! If you like thrillers that let your brain do most the work, this is such a one. Not the best thing on the shelf, but shells and Velveeta is a tasty dish.

Knight and Day (2010)

A world changing discovery has the hidden forces behind the scenes chasing each other through the streets of major cities on at least two continents exchanging gunfire and blowing things to hell. Another action packed shooter full of cool car crashes, ridiculous quantities of brass hitting the ground, and all the butt puckering thrills they can cram into a movie where the leading man is shorter than the leading woman. As much fun as it was watching this flick, they still manage to maintain annoying stereotypes as a form comic relief. It works only so well and comes at a heavy price. It didn't kill this one for me, but it was teasing the line in a couple places. It seems Scientology, despite making Cruise insane, hasn't hurt his onscreen abilities. Unfortunately time is not being so kind to Cameron Diaz who looked a little haggard. Of course having a character who couldn't decide whether to take charge or be the annoying drama queen with a high pitched scream didn't help her much. But that's nitpicking isn't it? A high speed hit of adrenaline is what you get with this one, along with cool FX and a Tom Cruise smile that 007 would be proud of.

Marmaduke (2010)

The comic strip Great Dane from hell Marmaduke makes the transition from paper to celluloid. Moving from the Midwest to the left coast opens up new adventures for Marmaduke and his hapless family. Well voiced and family friendly, the age old teen angst story is pitched at us once again, but from a dog's eye view. Critter CG is up to date and undersold which works well (except the final sequence, but hey it worked for Shrek (2001) right?) If your dog spends more time on your sofa than you do they may be interested in seeing this one, and if you're good, they will let you and the kids watch with them. A squeaky dog toy that's not so slobbered on.

Let the Right One In (2008)

A bullied loner and product of a broken home makes friends with the strange girl who moves in next door. Its not long before they share her terrifying secret. In anticipation of Let Me In (2010) I went looking for the original version. Wasn't at all what I was expecting. While certain retro aspects were surprisingly refreshing, especially given current trends, I found others to be rather boorish and stilted. Being a Swedish movie I will chock this up to cultural differences. The tenor is more that of a drama/biography instead of a horror film, with a quiet resignation instead of fear and tension. I'm sure the American version will 'fix' this. I'm thinking that this version followed the book more closely than the remake. The bulk of the story centers on the growing relationship of the two primary players, especially trust. A good appetizer to wet interest in anticipation of the remake.

The A-Team (2010)

An unconventional "Alpha Team" is set up on a covert ops mission and its a race against the clock to clear their names. If you were a fan of the TV series, this would be the origins. This is a fun filled action packed blast of a movie with some hearty laughs and a lot of smiles. The finale' is a bit over the top, but fun to watch with a couple laughs. They leave it open for a sequel, after seeing it I'm inclined to think there will be one. For a good fun shooter with no gore this would be a good pick. A hearty burger and fries... enjoy!

Beneath Hill 60 (2010)

In WWI Australian miners were recruited as sappers to dig tunnels and set explosives; this is a dramatised history of Captain Oliver Woodward and his actions that won him the Military Cross. This is a top shelf drama with all elements extremely well played. The vision of the front line and the FX are all convincingly realistic (I especially appreciated the sound of the bullets striking)without being overly gory or graphic. Driven by an excellent story and cast of players that commands near undivided attention. I would compare this with Flyboys (2006), but with less syrup. Excellent choice for viewers wanting more meat in their sandwich. Highly Recommended.

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

In a world ravaged by a super virus that turns people into zombies, Alice continues her adventures in the 4th installment of the franchise. I'm SICK of 3D. That said, its obvious this cash cow has been absconded by the Hollyweird whores. Taking elements from The Matrix (1999), Ultraviolet (2006), Blade: Trinity (2004), and Æon Flux (2005), this bastard child bears little resemblance to either the game or the first 3 movies. A 5th movie is set up, so be prepared if this one makes money. Action was about what has become expected for this series, however I was continually distracted by the amount of make-up on both the lead female players. As far as I'm concerned they used up all their story material in the first two, with the third being a better than fair stand alone.. this one tries to hide behind the current 3D craze with little else brought to the table. Save your cash unless you have to see 3D, and make this a rental.

Downstream (2010)

The oil has run out and its the end of everything- Oh my!!
For some reason people think that oil running out somehow will reduce the planet to a desert with bands of roving cannibals despite the fact that for the majority of human history we didn't use oil. They did throw us a twist saying that a mysterious cancer has killed all the women.. then turned around and made one of the main characters a female and included a brothel in the script!! A luke warm serving of gruel. I did appreciate the ending though for more than the fact it put this movie out of its misery. View if you must, but save your cash and see it on DVD, or better, cable.

Hunter Prey (2009)

A Spacecraft goes down on a dirtball leaving 3 survivors in pursuit of their escaped prisoner. This is a great B+ movie that rely on story telling and player interaction instead of big budget techno displays. This views like a modest budget version of Enemy Mine (1985) without all the syrup. The plot is basic, and the storyline very narrow with only a handful of characters in the entire movie. I have no technical complaints although the veneer on some of the FX was thin it was nothing that I couldn't get past. There is a measure of suspended belief, but not totally out of the character framework.. perhaps explainable by the application of some unseen benevolent cosmic force. Players all deliver a respectable performance of a script that leaves out much of the filler we are usually punished with. Sci-Fi fans should especially appreciate. A tasty no frills dish.

The Expendables (2010)

A team of freelance mercenaries are hired to overthrow the leader of a banana republic, but things are never what they seem. This is a rock-em sock-em tough guy wet dream with a side of whoopass. A lot of star power generated for this movie, although Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger appear only as a cameo and are uncredited. Story line is fairly cookie cutter; rag tag group of heavily outnumbered bad asses go into a meat grinder, not for the 5 million dollars, but because they are all such good buddies. Anyway its an issue easily solved, take your brain out and strap in because its a hell of a fun ride! Adrenaline junkies come get your fix!! Even though the main character is Stallone, the rest of the crew, especially Stratham, all get their chops. Stallone has really grown as both a player and a director and while this is unlikely to win any awards, he sure seems to know what audiences like. Couldn't shake the feeling that he was sort of passing the torch though. A thick BBQ steak of a movie. Recommended.

Shoot the Hero (2010)

An attempt to save a failing relationship lands a couple of young lovers in the middle of gangster business. Give this one a chance, it starts slow and annoying but finishes strong. Take a geek and his snotty girlfriend, a band of small time gangsters, a group of inbred militia hillbillies, and a couple couch potato hit men, mix them together in a disjointed low key comedy, and you have this movie. Not exactly prime time viewing, but better than having your teeth cleaned. There are snickers to be had as well as a revelation for all the doubters of the Clark Kent persona (OMG thats Jason Mewes!). A good background movie that doesn't require your whole attention to follow as some of the pieces don't fit so well anyway.

Robin Hood (2010)

In the age of the eternal rewrite it was just a matter of time until they got to this old classic. This is sort of a prequel to the story we all know, with the introduction of Longstride as the main character. While this did nothing for me in terms of the story of Robin Hood, its not a bad movie and I found it quite enjoyable. A little formulaic but I've come to expect that with big Hollywierd productions. The rewriters had some fun with the characters that worked well as did the historical seasoning. If viewed as a medieval adventure/drama this is a respectable serving of good viewing. Fans of Robin Hood are likely to be disappointed.

Vampires Suck (2010)

Spoof of Twilight. A comedy in the caliber of Meet the Spartans (2008). If you enjoyed that, then you will enjoy this. This formula is getting very stale for me and laughs were hard to find. One thing I will give points to is Jenn Proske's portrayal of Becca Crane. She nails the whole dissociative emo thing that drives the Twilight storyline. This tuna sandwich is well past the due date.

Charlie Valentine (2009)

An aging wiseguy pulls 'one last score' that turns to shit and puts him on the run from his old boss. This is the story of one of the successful wiseguys in 'middle management', who in his golden years finds he is holding nothing but empty memories and an ability to turn his back on people. While not the same scope as Miller's Crossing (1990), I found it to have a similar flavor. Not a big shoot'em up movie, (most the violence is at both ends) it instead focuses on the more human aspect of things. Fairly gritty without being overly graphic or too vulgar. The dialogue is lean and lends to the overall feel of the movie well. A good watch for drama fans needing an adrenaline fix. Recommended.